Ninety-Four: Biding One’s Time

After leaving the main hall, Cao Ren suddenly smiled at Cao Hong. “Zilian, the elite troops you are selecting this time—surely you are not planning to use that same method you used at the Xu family stockade, are you? If so, I could do it for you.”

He was naturally referring to the time Cao Hong had made everyone do push-ups.

Cao Hong laughed heartily. “Not this time. Since this is for the imperial guard, we have to choose men of loyalty. Raw strength alone will not do.”

Cao Ren fell into thought. “Men of loyalty, then the elders and common folk of Pei Commandery are the most reliable.”

“That is exactly what I was thinking,” Cao Hong said. “The soldiers and laborers I recruited from Yang Province are all outsiders, and they have not been properly trained. I would not dare use them as personal guards.”

Cao Ren nodded. “The soldiers and laborers I selected from Pei Commandery are either brothers who followed me in suppressing bandits, or trustworthy men from the Xu family stockade. But I wonder, Zilian, do you want new recruits for your guard, or seasoned veterans who have already been trained?”

Cao Hong replied, “It makes no difference. What matters most is that they can be trusted and are loyal to Eldest Brother.”

“Then I can take care of this for you while I’m at it,” Cao Ren said.

Cao Hong looked a little troubled. “Brother Zixiao, you already have to oversee the training of the soldiers and laborers, and now you want to help me choose guard troops as well? I’d feel uneasy about that.”

Cao Ren laughed twice. By then, the two men had already left the residence where Cao Cao stayed and were walking beside a field of wheat inside the stockade. Around them were only the stockade’s farming residents and a small number of laborers, but no soldiers. Cao Ren therefore tugged at Cao Hong’s sleeve and led him beneath a pagoda tree by the edge of the wheat field, then lowered his voice.

“Zilian, do you know? In the past, all the purchasing of military grain was handled by Brother Zixu, but now it has been taken over by the newcomer, Ren Boda. Military supply oversight has also been shifted from Brother Miaocai to that fellow named Zao Zhi, and even the accounting of money and provisions is now handled by Li Qian. That makes me very uneasy.”

More hands, more trouble. When Cao Cao’s cavalry was first formed, there were only a few men—Cao Hong, Cao Ren, Cao Chun, Xiahou Yuan, Xiahou Dun, Yue Jin, Wei Zi. Each of them not only commanded troops but also managed military grain, supplies, documents, and other important matters. Now, with the sudden addition of Ren Jun, Zao Zhi, and Li Qian, the things each man could control had naturally become fewer.

From Cao Hong’s point of view, this was not a bad thing. Everyone had their own duty; that was how management became more effective. But to Cao Ren, it meant something different.

He had contributed a great deal of manpower and resources to Cao Cao’s cavalry himself. Usually, when he managed one portion on his own, it felt fine enough; at least that was still his own territory. But now someone had inserted a hand into the matter, and handing things over felt as though he were giving them away. He did not know how the other person would use them, so of course he felt unsettled.

It was like in modern times, when someone invested in a company and became a shareholder. No matter what, they would ask about the company’s affairs and keep an eye on where their money had gone. But if the chairman were suddenly replaced by someone else to run things, the shareholders would naturally become anxious. Cao Ren said this to Cao Hong because he assumed Cao Hong would be as uneasy as he was, perhaps even more so, because Cao Hong had wagered everything he had. If one were to speak of who had invested the most, Cao Hong was now the one who had poured in the greatest fortune, and the Cao Hong Cao Ren knew was a miser who loved money dearly.

What Cao Ren never imagined was that the Cao Hong of today was no longer the Cao Hong of old. He felt no unease at all. In fact, he thought this arrangement was rather good. But since Cao Ren had spoken to him like this, he could hardly say that he did not care; that would only hurt Cao Ren’s feelings. After all, within the Cao clan’s circle, the two of them were still close cousins. More importantly, as time passed, Cao Cao’s power would only grow greater, and his followers more numerous. In the future, the inner workings of the organization would inevitably become more and more complicated. What was wrong with having one more person to watch each other’s backs?

Cao Hong felt that he had become sly. Especially after that talk with Cao Ding, the mercenary who used to charge forward without a second thought now had a faint tendency to proceed with caution. Was that a good thing or a bad thing? Only time would tell.

Seeing Cao Hong stammer, Cao Ren thought his cousin must have misgivings and not dare discuss the matter, so he continued, “Zilian! Back when you were in Wu Commandery and I was in Pei Commandery, we already did plenty of business together. How many bandits on the roads, how many petty thieves by the roadside, did we not drive away in defeat together? That kind of bond goes back to when we were still teenagers. Not to mention that we share the same blood. Today you recommended my younger brother for the command of the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry, and I know you are still my good brother. There is nothing we cannot speak plainly about, right?”

Cao Hong nodded. “Exactly so. I have always regarded Brother Zixiao as a good brother.”

Cao Ren burst out laughing at once, but Cao Hong then continued, “Still, unease is one thing, and showing it in front of Eldest Brother is another. Eldest Brother is a man destined for great things. In time, his accomplishments will only grow greater. Perhaps years from now, when we look back on these investments of wealth and effort, we will think they were nothing but a damn trifle. What we can do now is keep a low profile, get along well with our fellow officers, and put in even more effort to earn merit. In the end, we are still the people Eldest Brother can rely on most. If we truly have the ability, he will always think of us first. Look at today—didn’t he call only you, me, and Zihe?”

Cao Ren was greatly surprised after hearing this. His cousin had indeed become much more steady, and had even corrected his old habit of coveting money. It seemed his own tempering still fell short of what his cousin had undergone.

At the same time, he felt much more at ease. He had originally been unhappy because he had spent money and effort only to have others share in his authority. Now that he had finally waited for Cao Hong to return, he naturally wanted to remind this cousin who shared his troubles that they should watch each other’s backs. Yet he had never expected that the cousin who had invested far more than he had would be so open-minded, and see matters so clearly. That helped soothe his own heart as well.

What made him even happier was that Cao Hong had said “we” right from the start, clearly standing on the same side as him. That was what mattered most. In the future, as long as they watched out for one another, they would not fear the newcomers from outside the clan scrambling for credit and power.

So Cao Ren patted Cao Hong on the shoulder. “That is exactly the point! Very well, I’m off to select the troops. When I’m done, I’ll have Gongsun bring the men to you.”

After thanking him, Cao Hong parted from Cao Ren and headed back to his own quarters, all the while sighing inwardly: Cao Cao’s grand enterprise had barely begun, yet Cao Ren was already worrying about someone competing for favor with him. I’m afraid the other officers will inevitably think the same. Ah, the more people there are, the more trouble there is. Those words could not be truer.

As he walked, Cao Hong passed a workshop and saw Wei Zi directing the laborers to carry out bucket after bucket of pickled vegetables, loading them onto flat carts. They were probably meant to be distributed to the soldiers and laborers. When Wei Zi spotted Cao Hong, he immediately came over to greet him. After warm and friendly conversation, he said enthusiastically, “A few days ago, I received a letter from my son, and learned that your wife and servants are all in Xiangyi. I have already ordered my son to build a stockade in a place sixty li outside Xiangyi, nestled among mountains and beside water. Within five months, you will surely be able to move in. And if you wish to build an estate, my Wei family will certainly provide both men and money.”

Cao Hong thanked him repeatedly. “At present, the priority is still to place our army’s movements first. Brother Zixu, your righteousness is boundless, and I am deeply grateful.”

Wei Zi smiled. “How could one fail to repay a life-saving kindness? The Wei family has always considered you a good friend, Zilian. Just say the word, and the men and women of my household will do everything they can to help.”

Cao Hong laughed and said he was unworthy of such praise. Then Wei Zi exchanged a few more pleasantries with him before returning to his work. After leaving the workshop, Cao Hong suddenly felt that among all the subordinates under Cao Cao, without realizing it, he had already formed a small circle of his own.

Cao Ren and Cao Chun were his brothers and close kin. Wei Zi repaid kindness with loyalty. Dian Wei and Liu Ye had brought him into favor. Even Liao Hua, whom he had once brought north with him, had become part of Cao Cao’s personal guard. His relationship with these five men was clearly deeper than with the other generals under Cao Cao. Cao Hong, who had never before served under a single power in this way, only then realized that he had already become a core member within a faction, and had done so without even noticing.

While he sighed at his own belated understanding, he was also quietly warning himself. Cao Cao in history was suspicious yet clever. Right now they were still at the starting stage, and their strength was too weak to draw much attention. But once their power grew, he would certainly guard against any overly powerful inner faction rising up. At that point, suppressing them would not be impossible.

“So... in the future, I should keep myself in check,” Cao Hong silently told himself.